Menopause is a physical and emotional milestone in every woman's life and symptoms are nearly impossible to avoid completely. The most common and effective treatment is hormone therapy. However, this option is not suitable for everyone so you may want to seek more natural relief products to help with your symptoms.
Symptoms
Menopause is accompanied by a large range of symptoms caused by an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Your body is constantly generating estrogen while progesterone is only produced with the onset of ovulation. Since ovulation ceases during menopause, an imbalance is created when progesterone levels plummet, thus leaving your body with toxic levels of estrogen. This results in fairly common symptoms such as hair loss, accelerated aging, mood swings, hot flashes, memory loss, low sex drive or water retention as well as more serious ones such as breast cancer, polycystic ovaries, osteoporosis, depression or endometriosis.
Herbal Products
If you don't want hormone therapy and prefer a more natural path, herbal products are an alternative. Black Cohosh and Agnus Castus are commonly used for menopause as they cover a range of symptoms, including hot flashes, depression and mood swings. Kava Kava alleviates mood swings, depression and anxiety. The Chinese herb known as Dong Quai helps with hot flashes. Many products utilize an herbal mixture of Black Cohosh, Pasque flower and soy to fight hot flashes and mood swings. The use of these herbs in treating menopause symptoms is not FDA-approved as their exact mechanisms are not fully understood, nor do they produce consistent results in clinical trials.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are less common than herbs in menopause relief but their benefits and effects cannot be ignored. Vitamins E and C can be effective when used together. Vitamin E can help reduce the effects of hot flashes and night sweats by replenishing electrolytes lost during perspiration and can behave as an estrogen substitute, which will regulate actual estrogen levels. Vitamin C facilitates the absorption of Vitamin E into your body. Calcium and magnesium are also of notable importance since one of the symptoms of menopause is osteoporosis. Magnesium assists in the absorption of calcium, which helps prevent bone loss.
Nutrition
A well-balanced diet can help relieve menopausal symptoms. Women should avoid a lot of caffeine and carbonated beverages as they increase bone loss because the phosphoric acid has a binding effect on calcium, thus preventing its absorption into your body. Avoid foods that inhibit your body's ability to metabolize or stabilize estrogen, including commercially raised meats and dairy products that often come from animals that have received hormone treatments, which could add even more estrogen to your body. Avoid excessive amounts of sugar, salt and fat since an overflow will create a further imbalance of hormones in the body.
Other Supplements
Supplements that utilize natural sources to aid in menopause relief are available. Red clover isoflavone supplements (i.e., Promensil) are popular for reducing bone loss, improving cardiovascular health and decreasing the onset of hot flashes by acting as phytoestrogens, which can help regulate estrogen levels to offset symptoms. Supplements containing the good bacteria found in human intestines (lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidus cultures) help the intestines eliminate excess hormones and prevent their reabsorption, thus reducing overall menopausal symptoms.
No comments:
Post a Comment